Service Yoga Resources

The following collection provide educational resources and scholarly articles that highlight topics related to the fields of Service Yoga and Trauma Informed Yoga. The information on this page may be useful for Non-Profit & Government Agencies, Educational Institutions and Wellness Organizations, Yoga Practitioners, Yoga Educators, and any others seeking to implement related yoga initiatives.

What is Service Yoga?

Service yoga is a yoga approach that acknowledges the psychosomatic effects of stress and trauma on the individual and the global community, and allows that knowledge to inform sharing yoga practice as a community service.

Create QuanYin Institute’s approach to extending Service Yoga to local community member in need grew from the traditional yoga philosophy concept of Seva. It is a sanskrit term that means to lift up.

To learn more about this growing field, review data-driven information, and learn best practices explore the following resources.

Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System

Yoga is rapidly gaining acceptance as a valuable resource for physical, psychological, behavioral and spiritual health in the U.S. criminal justice system and worldwide. Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System is a user-friendly guide that explains how to develop, implement, and sustain high-quality yoga programs appropriate for jails, prisons, youth detention centers, and court-ordered programs.

Yoga Therapy in Practice

At the Trauma Center Yoga Program, we believe that Yoga can support the process of healing for survivors of trauma and those suffering with PTSD. We hope to make further contributions in both training and research, so that Yoga can become more available as part of a holistic healing process for millions of men and women who have survived trauma.

Transformative Life Skills: Pilot Study of a Yoga Model for Reduced Stress and Improving Self-Control in Vulnerable Youth

Two pilot studies demonstrate that a comprehensive multimodality intervention of Transformative Life Skills (TLS) consisting of Yoga poses (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) can reduce perceived stress and increase self-control and self-awareness in at-risk and incarcerated youth. As part of a countywide violence prevention effort, Niroga Institute conducted daily 60-minute TLS programs at Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center (ACJJC). Additionally, a condensed 15-minute TLS protocol was implemented at El Cerrito High School, a large urban public high school. The effectiveness of TLS was evaluated using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Tangney's Self-Control Scale (TSCS-13). Statistical analyses indicate a significant improvement in stress resilience, self-control, and self-awareness among the youth exposed to Niroga's TLS protocols. These results have substantial relevance to education and community-wide violence prevention.

A Process Evaluation of the Art of Yoga Project Mentor Program for Incarcerated Teenage Girls

Community reentry is a difficult process for anyone to navigate, but it is especially complicated for juveniles. Care often stops when juveniles leave the system (Hammet, Roberts, & Kennedy, 2001), and they commonly return to their communities unprepared for that transition (Kings County District Attorney’s Office, 2001).